


The Right Words

by chanmi



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-14 11:17:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10535361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanmi/pseuds/chanmi
Summary: Victor Nikiforov decides he wants a year of normal college education, and Yuuri Katsuki is enlisted to help him achieve it.





	1. Chapter 1

“I just don’t understand,” Yuuri says, flustered, one hand running through already messy hair, “what she could want from me. That’s what’s making me nervous, more than anything.”

 

“You definitely handed in that assignment, right?” Yuuri levels Phichit with a look, and the other boy just smiles at him. “We have to cover all bases here. You haven’t killed her dog? Served her the wrong coffee? Forgotten a big story for the paper?”

 

“ _No,_ ” Yuuri says. His insides are being eaten by butterflies, and he feels like an idiot for acting like a fourteen year old about this. He’s twenty, for Christ’s sake, he can handle being asked to meet one of his professors for five minutes. It’s just – look, he knows he’s being stupid, but he’s always been anxious, and it was an oddly specific email.

 

_Hi Yuuri,_

_Do you have a spare fifteen minutes this week? I have something very important to discuss with you._

_Thanks,_

_Jane_

Her reply to his meek ‘yes, of course’, had been instant. He doesn’t get the feeling that she’s meeting anyone else, not least because Phichit was in the same class, as well as also being on the paper, and his inbox was empty. Yuuri had believed him, but he’d still insisted on emphatically presenting it, all the while spouting conspiracy theories, just like he’d insisted on walking to her office with him, now. Yuuri was grateful, and not just for this: Phichit being assigned as his roommate felt like the biggest stroke of luck college could’ve thrown at him.

 

Phichit knocks his shoulder good-naturedly. “You’re going to be fine. She probably wants to thank you for personally keeping the college’s grade point average up. Or for reviving the paper single-handedly. Let’s be real, she isn’t going to expel you.” He pauses, then adds, cheerfully: “Probably.”

 

“Phichit,” Yuuri whines. His stomach is a knot.

 

“I’m joking! You’re fine. Seriously.”

 

“You think so?”

 

“Yeah. I’ll drop out with you, and we can both pretend it’s voluntary. You’re fine. If things get _really_ difficult, just think of Victor’s face. You love that.”

 

Yuuri sighs as they come to a stop outside Jane’s room. “I hate you, I wish you’d never seen those posters, and thanks for coming with me.”

 

“You don’t mean that, I’m very glad I saw those posters, and you’re welcome.” Listing conversations is kind of their thing.

 

“I mean everything,” Yuuri insists. “Everything, total conviction.” His heart isn’t in it, and the usually easy jibing falls flat.

 

He looks at the door, the floor, his own hands, anything to delay actually going inside. Phichit places a hand on his shoulder, comforting, and Yuuri nods, to him and for himself. They aren’t particularly touchy-feely, neither of them, but Phichit just _knows_. He always has.

 

Yuuri draws himself together one last time, and Phichit knocks for him before he can change his mind. Jane opens the door with a smile, and Yuuri tries not to throw up on his feet, tangling his hands together in a nervous mess as she invites him in.

 

There’s already someone—the dean. The dean is sat there. Right there, in one of the comfortable seats. Yuuri knows for a fact that the man’s never glanced in his direction before, but he’s… he’s smiling at him.

 

“Yuuri! Nice to meet you. Please, take a seat.” It doesn’t escape Yuuri’s notice that even though this is Jane’s office, and the chair behind the desk is hers, the dean has total authority. “Now, I hear you’re a wonderful student.”

 

“Ah,” Yuuri says, in reply. To his complete mortification, that’s where his tongue seems to forget how to work. He’s hyper aware of the way the dean glances at Jane, and his face flushes a bright red. Blushes always came easy to him, and he can feel his _ears_ burning.

 

After a moment of awkward silence, Jane jumps in, just a beat too late. “He is! Straight As, and I’m sure I told you about his outstanding contribution to the paper.”

 

Yuuri’s heart beats faster and faster, because he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do in this completely uncharted, unexpected situation. He barely hears the dean replying, complimenting him further, asking something. Asking something?

 

“I...um, sorry, pardon?” He’s an idiot.

 

If the dean agrees, he doesn’t let on. “I asked if you have much spare time. I’m sure you understand that this will be a particularly time-consuming project.”

 

Yuuri just blinks at him. “Project?”

 

The dean blinks back at him. He turns to Jane. “You haven’t told him?”

 

“I thought we would ask him together, today.” She smiles, a little nervously – welcome to the club, Yuuri thinks, feeling a little braver, a little less alone in the room, to see her swallow uncomfortably, too – before looking at Yuuri. “Yuuri, have you heard of Victor Nikiforov?”

 

* * *

 

 **Groupchat: remember that time phichit got a b and he cried**  
  


**6 year old:** GUYS

 **6 year old:** oh for god’s sake

 

**6 year old changed their name to straight a student.**

**straight a student renamed the group get fucked guang hong.**

**straight a student:** right

 

 **straight a student:** now that that’s fixed

 

 **straight a student:** GUYS!!!!

 

 **yuuri:** shut up phichit

 

 **token lesbian representation:** what???

 

 **yuuri:** sara don’t give him the satisfaction pls

 

 **yuuri:** i’ll tell you later

 

 **an innocent:** i find the name of this chat offensive

 

 **an innocent:** tell her what??? what’s going on?

 

 **straight a student:** you don’t deserve to know

 

**straight a student changed an innocent’s name to a bully.**

**straight a student:** sara!!!!! victor nikiforov is coming here!!!!

 

 **yuuri:** PHICHIT

 

 **a bully:** WHAT

 

 **token lesbian representation:** WHAT

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** what?

 

 **yuuri:** PHICHIT NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW I WASN’T EVEN SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU

 

 **straight a student:** BUT THEY NEED TO KNOW

 

 **straight a student:** except guang hong

 

 **a bully:** phichit……………..my sweet useless child……….

 

 **a bully:** you do…….realise…….how groupchats work………….right

 

 **a bully:** or did you fail facebook as well

 

**straight a student removed a bully from the conversation.**

**yuuri added Guang Hong Ji to the conversation.**

**straight a student changed Guang Hong Ji’s name to grudgingly accepted.**

**token lesbian representation:** children pls

 

**grudgingly accepted changed straight a student’s name to definitely not straight or an a student.**

 

 **yuuri:** i think we need to discuss this

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** yeah i have no idea what’s going on

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** victor’s the ice skater right

 

 **yuuri:** NOT THAT

 

 **yuuri:** the FIGHT

 

 **definitely not straight or an a student:** there is no fight i love u guang hong u get me shut up yuuri etc etc anyway so victor

 

 **definitely not straight or an a student:** is coming here

 

 **definitely not straight or an a student:** n our resident prince yuuri

 

 **definitely not straight or an a student:** has to babysit him

 

 **definitely not straight or an a student:** n stop him like

 

 **definitely not straight or an a student:** getting mobbed by fans LOL

 

 **token lesbian representation:** LOL

 

 **grudgingly accepted:** LOL

**Seung-gil Lee:** haha

 

 **definitely not straight or an a student:** god seung-gil ur so edgy watch out you might cut yourself

 

 **yuuri:** wait what’s funny about that

 

 **token lesbian representation:** “stop him getting mobbed by fans” LOL

 

 **grudgingly accepted:** LOL

 

 **definitely not straight or an a student:** LOL

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** because you’re fucking obsessed with him

 

 **yuuri:** i am NOT

 

 **definitely not straight or an a student:** uhhhhhhhhhh

 

 **yuuri:** do not

 

 **yuuri:** even

 

 **yuuri:** go there

 

 **token lesbian representation:** yeah phichit we don’t need to know about the TWENTY FOUR posters yuuri has at home

 

 **grudgingly accepted:** or vicchan’s name

 

 **definitely not straight or an a student:** definitely shouldn’t tell you about the time he flew to the grand prix final just to see him

 

**yuuri has left the conversation.**

 

* * *

 

That night, they all meet at the bar; none of them are heavy drinkers, really, but it’s the easiest meeting place since they all live on campus but their rooms are too small to fit the five of them in comfortably. (They’d tried. Subsequently, Phichit had tried to kick Guang Hong out.)

 

“So let me get this straight,” Sara’s saying. She almost knocks her drink over as her hands move through the air, accompanying her words. “Victor—“

 

“Shh!”

 

“—has decided he’s taking a year off skating, to come here, to get a college education, to be babysat by you the entire time.”

 

“Kind of, I guess?” Yuuri rubs the back of his neck, still trying to come to terms with the whole situation. “They’re giving me a week to see if I can handle it with my other commitments, and to make sure he doesn’t hate me or anything.”

 

Phichit snorts loudly. “Imagine, someone hating our Yuuri.”

 

“Impossible,” Guang Hong agrees. “You’re going to fall in love and it’s going to be super cliché but still kind of lowkey romantic even though we’re all going to laugh at you anyway.”

 

Yuuri can feel heat rising. “Absolutely not. He’s not going to enjoy having a babysitter, you guys. I’ll probably barely even see him.”

“They’ll probably go skating together,” Phichit says, to Guang Hong, completely ignoring Yuuri.

 

“He’ll take him back to Russia.”

 

“Yuuri’s mum will love him!”

 

Seung-gil rolls his eyes at them, and turns to Yuuri as they steadily get more and more ridiculous, playing it up even more to make Sara giggle. “I don’t get it. He’s just a skater, right? Why would anyone mob him?”

 

Yuuri isn’t really sure how to respond to this properly.

 

The idea of Victor Nikiforov being ‘just’ a skater is a ridiculous concept: the man was so talented that just his appearance at a competition was guaranteed to sell it out, the viewing rates more akin to a football game than a typical non-consumer sport. Ever since Victor had debuted, years ago, before he was known to be something extraordinary, Yuuri had been fascinated by him. It was something about the way he ached with grace and control, everything so precise but still so emotive, his showmanship: the way he stepped onto the ice and let his skating speak for him. _This is me_ , his blades carved out, as he spun and twirled and jumped. He had no apologies.

 

“Uh, no offence.” Seung-gil takes his hesitation for offence, and looks a little uncomfortable. Yuuri smiles at him. Seung-gil’s quiet, but he struggles to keep his opinions to himself when he does bother to open his mouth, and he doesn’t understand the concept of mitigation. Everything is blunt, everything genuine, and though it took some getting used to, Yuuri can respect it.

 

“No, you’re fine, I just don’t know how to explain,” Yuuri says, honestly. “He’s just more like a movie star? It’s not really normal for a skater, no, but people just really like him.”

 

“Like you,” Seung-gil comments. There’s no malice to it. He’s not even really teasing him, like the others. Yuuri shrugs. “Did they know that? When they asked you to look out for him?”

 

Seung-gil takes a drag on his beer as Yuuri shakes his head. “I don’t exactly broadcast it. When I was younger, I was obsessed, but it’s just kind of embarrassing now.”

 

“So you don’t like him any more?”

 

“Ah, I didn’t say that. Just… in a less, um, obsessive way.”

 

“In a less twenty-four posters in your bedroom way?” Guang Hong chimes in, apparently having finished his pantomime with Phichit.

 

“I can’t believe,” Yuuri directs to Phichit, “you had to tell everyone about that.”

 

Phichit puts his hands up in mock surrender. “You could’ve taken them down.”

 

“I did! They were in a box under my bed and you found them when you were snooping!”

 

Phichit shakes his head. “Hmm… that’s not how I remember it.”

 

“Funny, because that’s how it _happened._ ”

 

He looks up to the sky, pretending to try and conjure up the memory, pulling a face at Guang Hong. “No… nope. Can’t recall snooping.”

 

“So when does he get here?” Sara interrupts, leaning forward to get Yuuri’s attention.

 

Yuuri throws one last glare in Phichit’s direction before replying. “They’re not really sure. It’s all a rush job, so no one starts digging and figuring anything out. He hasn’t even announced he’s taking time off yet.”

 

“Did they tell you that, or do you just know?”

 

“Shut up, Guang Hong. So it could be like, weeks?” Sara raises her eyebrows.

 

Yuuri toys with his drink. “Um, more like days, apparently.”

 

“Holy shit, what?”

 

“Shh! Shh,” Yuuri looks around nervously, but no one’s paying any attention to them. “Seriously, guys, I wasn’t even supposed to tell Phichit. Absolutely no one can know, he really wants this to be secret.”

 

“What a cliché,” Seung-gil says. “Some big hotshot wanting the normal college experience. Tell him to go get drunk and let people feel him up at random clubs and he’s pretty much there.”

 

“Well, I think it’s cute.” Sara folds her arms. “And I’m happy for you, Yuuri. Of all the people… this is so weird. Like, so weird. But good weird. I think.”

 

Phichit claps his mug down on the table. “The token lesbian has spoken, we are all in approval of… Victuuri? Victuuri.”

 

Guang Hong raises his own drink high in the air, grinning. “Victuuri!”

 

* * *

 

Later that night, Yuuri’s lying on his bed, laptop balanced on his stomach as he diligently reads through an article for a lecture the next. Phichit’s already asleep (alcohol tires him out quickly), but he’s finding it hard to concentrate anyway. The whole meeting earlier had felt like a dream, and if Victor was usually on his mind anyway, now he just can’t get rid of him.

 

By way of procrastination, he brings up his emails, and finds one from Jane a few hours ago.

 

_Hi Yuuri,_

_I’m sending you Victor’s information so you can contact him and make arrangements for his arrival. Please make sure you do so ASAP – as you know, time is of the essence here! Thank you for being so accommodating today; we hope you’re looking forward to meeting Victor as much as we are._

_Thanks,_

_Jane_

 

Attached was a Word document, with a phone number and email – both, Yuuri assumed, made specifically for the occasion. As he stares at them, he feels panic mounting. How was he supposed to address Victor? What should he say? Why couldn’t he have contacted him first?

 

It will have to be an email, this much he knows. Texting is far too personal between two people who have never met, especially when one is a _world-famous ice skater_. He tugs at his hair, contemplating waking Phichit, but decides against it. To wake Phichit would probably be to wake everyone on their floor, and he supposes he should probably keep some of this to himself… he probably should have kept all of it to himself. Will Victor, he wonders, realise that his friends know?

 

Before he can think about it for much longer, ‘ASAP’ running through his head again, he pulls up an empty email. Types in the email on the document. Tries not to consider every word choice for longer than three seconds.

 

_Hello Victor,_

_My name is Yuuri Katsuki, and I’ll be looking after you during your time at Detroit College. Please let me know anything I can do for you._

_Have a safe trip,_

_Yuuri_

Heart racing, he clicks send before he can read over it another fifty times. Taking a deep breath and looking at the ceiling to centre himself, he tells himself that at least now it’s done, and he has nothing to worry about. He’d been polite – friendly, even – and wasn’t that all they could ask of him? He hadn’t fawned over him, or embarrassed himself, and as long as he keeps his emotional distance, he’ll be _fine_.

 

There’s a chime from his laptop, and he looks down in surprise.

 

_Hi Yuuri,_

_It’s so nice to hear from you! I can’t wait to meet you, and see the college – I don’t know if I’m allowed to tell you this, but I’m actually already in the area. Don’t tell anyone. I think my first day will be Thursday, but tomorrow I would love for you to show me the city._

_See you soon,_

_V_

His eyes trace the sentences over and over again, trying to fight the rising wave of panic that he’d just barely subdued minutes before. Already in the area. Victor Nikiforov was already here, in Detroit – and he wanted to meet him. Tomorrow. So badly, in fact, that he’d replied minutes after Yuuri had sent his email.

 

* * *

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** sara? are you awake?

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** you okay???

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** um

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** [Screenshot]

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** oh my god

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** holy shit

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** have you replied???

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** wow look how fast that was tho he was waiting for u!!!!

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** lol ‘v’ #edgy

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** no sorry ok have you replied

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** no?? idk what to say pls help

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** oh bb

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** u have a shift at fred’s tomorrow right??

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** yes

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** okay so there u go

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** be like

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** hi super attractive even to lesbians ice skating star

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** i’m busy sry bye

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** sara pls

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** i’m lowkey freaking out

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** ok ok

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** just tell him the truth

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** it’s kind of rude of him to just assume that he can see u whenever he wants anyway ???

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** like. u have a life

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** i don’t think he meant it like that

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** he’s probably super used to having whatever he wants

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** doesn’t mean he can’t consider the ppl running around after him

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** don’t let him take advantage yuuri ur human too

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** thanks sara <3

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** i got u

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** you okay now?? gonna reply?

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** yeah i think so

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** love u <3

 

* * *

 

_Hi Victor,_

_Wow, that’s a surprise! I’m actually busy tomorrow, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find someone to show you around. I’ll see you Thursday?_

_Yuuri_

_Yuuri,_

_Oh no! :( Thursday, then? I’ll meet you outside the arts block._

_V_

* * *

There had been no need, in Yuuri’s mind, for further communication after Victor’s last email. They’d established a plan of action, and, honestly, he would be totally happy with leaving it there for the rest of his life.

 

“I don’t think,” Leo says, leaning on the counter, “that’s strictly true.”

 

Yuuri, in the process of making a coffee, pulls a face. “I don’t know. This just feels like a lot of stress out of nowhere.”

 

“You can always tell them no, you know. I just don’t think you really want to.” The door chimes as someone comes in, and the conversation breaks off for a moment while Leo tends to their request.

 

Yuuri busies himself handing out orders to people sitting down; even though Wednesday was a weekday, the café was always busy around midday. Even though he does occasionally wish he didn’t have to work in customer service, the place is barely five minutes away from college, the pay’s good, and Leo’s become one of his best friends.

 

“Maybe I don’t want to,” Yuuri picks up the conversation when everything’s quietened down a little. “I guess I want to know what he’s like.”

 

Leo nods. “Totally understandable. I think anyone would take that chance, if it was right there. Just try not to stress, man. It’s no big deal.”

 

“Mmm. Thanks. Two secs.” He scoops up the skinny caramel latte he’d just been preparing, and heads over to a man sat staring out of the window. “Your order, sir.”

 

“Ah, thank you!” A heavy Russian accent… surely not. Yuuri stands there dumbly as the man turns to face him, a bright smile lighting up piercing blue eyes. He raises a gloved hand to brush silver hair back under a cap, and Yuuri tries to remember to breathe. “I’m sorry to bother you, but do you happen to know where I can find an ice rink around here?” Yuuri just stares, and Victor adds, a little embarrassedly: “I only just arrived here.”

 

“Um.” All Yuuri can do is stare at him. He’s seen him in person before, of course, that Grand Prix was all he talked about for months, but only from a distance. Never like this.

 

Never close enough that he can see the concern in Victor’s eyes. “Are you okay?” There’s no worry in his voice, no fear that Yuuri might’ve recognised him – which there should be, some part of Yuuri thinks, because his ‘disguise’ is terrible – just confusion.

 

“Yes! Yes, sorry,” Yuuri manages to get himself together enough to stammer. It’s not good, not at all, but it’s _better_. “Sorry. Um, yeah…”

 

He gives Victor directions to the nearest rink, one in town about twenty minutes away, and tries not to fall apart when the man gives him another huge smile. “Thank you! I love skating. Do you skate?”

 

Yuuri blinks, trying to remember how words work, wondering if it would be acceptable to just run away now. No, he reminds himself, questions need to be answered, that’s how society works, Yuuri.

 

“Ah, a little, sometimes,” he says, eventually, hoping the hesitation wasn’t as obvious to Victor as it was to him. It’s not the truth, but it’s not a lie either – he loves skating, would’ve gone professional if he had the time and money years ago, but he rarely manages to head out to the rink these days. Does Victor ask everyone questions like this?

 

“So that’s why you knew where it was,” Victor says, like he’s just cracked some mystery. “Don’t let me distract you from your work! Thanks again.”

 

“Um, you’re welcome?” Victor nods at him, hand on his coffee, and Yuuri stares at him for a moment longer before scurrying away. He wants to tell Leo immediately, wants to grab his phone and message Phichit and the others, but he doesn’t know if he should. If he’s honest, he feels a little dazed as he heads back to the counter, and it takes everything he has not to look straight back to Victor.

 

“Yuuri, can you take the other till?” Leo glances over his shoulder quickly, and Yuuri shakes himself as he notices how long the queue’s gotten, moving into position.

 

He spends the whole time trying not to think about the fact that he’s ninety-nine percent certain that Victor Nikiforov is staring at him, and hoping beyond hope that he won’t recognise him tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm british so forgive random uni/college slips/british spellings lol  
> idk where this will go we'll see i might continue i might not


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yuri is like 19 in this so he's closer to victor's age (22, the others are like 19/20) n they can be closer bc he's my favourite

**baby kitten:** victor we’ve been through this

 

 **baby kitten:** if you absolutely have to change my name

 

 **baby kitten:** at least be accurate

 

 **baby kitten:** A KITTEN IS A BABY. YOU CAN’T HAVE A BABY BABY

 

 **asshole:** yuri yuri sh

 

 **asshole:** i’m in love

 

 **asshole:** he’s beautiful he has this pushed back black hair and deep brown eyes and he’s so cute he blushes

 

 **baby kitten:** what did i do that made me seem interested in your life

 

 **baby kitten:** pls tell me so i can stop doing it immediately

 

 **asshole:** i’m going to buy coffee every day then i can see him every day and he’ll fall for me too as soon as he knows who i am

 

 **baby kitten:** wtf does coffee have to do w anything

 

 **asshole:** oh he works at a coffee place

 

 **baby kitten:** great even better

 

 **baby kitten:** he’s not going to work there full time idiot

 

 **asshole:** you’re right

 

 **asshole:** do you think if i call and tell them my name they’ll give me his schedule??

 

 **baby kitten:** victor

 

 **asshole:** then i could go every time he works and not waste any time and i’d know when he was free for dates

 

 **baby kitten:** VICTOR

 

 **asshole:**?

 

 **baby kitten:** you have 5 seconds

 

 **baby kitten:** to calm THE FUCK DOWN

 

 **baby kitten:** and read all that again

 

 **asshole:** ……..

 

 **baby kitten:** yes.

 

 **asshole:** i may have been a little presumptuous

 

 **baby kitten:** you’re an arrogant self centred bulldozer

 

 **asshole:** that’d be the other way of putting it

 

 **asshole:** i just think he’s pretty :(

 

 **baby kitten:** i don’t care

 

 **baby kitten:** u can’t own everything

 

 **asshole:** can i ask what his name is

 

 **baby kitten:** no

 

 **asshole:** are u just being mean now

 

 **baby kitten:** no

 

 **asshole:** yura :(

 

 **baby kitten:** shut up don’t call me that

 

 **baby kitten:** anyway

 

 **baby kitten:** i gotta go yakov’s decided to push all ur training time onto me

 

 **baby kitten:** hope someone shoves ur head in the toilet tomorrow

 

 **asshole:** it’s COLLEGE not high school

 

 **baby kitten:** yh but it’s america

 

 **asshole:** i’m ignoring that

 

 **asshole:** facetime later?? <3

 

 **baby kitten:** might pick up if u call

 

* * *

 

It’s a good thing that the weather is nice, Victor thinks, as he flicks through Instagram for the millionth time. His guide – Yuuri, he reminds himself, like Yura – was supposed to meet him here an hour ago, but he’s not even answering Victor’s calls. He’s not really sure what to do in this situation, because situations like these don’t tend to happen to people like him, so he’s just been waiting on a bench, scrolling through the same posts a million times.  

 

Blend in, he thinks, reminds himself, as another student casts him a curious look as they pass him. Brushes his fringe back under his hat for the millionth time, tries to ignore the uncomfortable scratchiness of his brown contacts. There’s something nice about just casually people-watching, taking in everything, soaking in normality, but Victor has never been one to sit around, and with every minute that passes he’s growing more and more restless. He wants to _move_ – he’s so excited to be here that he thinks he might burst.

 

Just when he decides that Yuuri is a lost cause, and starts appraising everyone in eyesight, weighing up who to approach and charm, he notices someone jogging in his general direction. As they get closer, Victor realises it’s the barista from the day before, and his heart rate picks up.

 

“Hi!” Victor shouts towards him, rising and moving towards him in one fluid movement. “Do you go here? It’s nice to see you again.”

 

The boy stops in front of him, as if physically stunned by his words. He’s wearing glasses, his hair free to fall across his face messily, but he’s just as attractive as he was yesterday. “Um.”

 

“I was supposed to meet someone here,” Victor says, filling the space the boy can’t with his own words. “But they’re late.” He pouts, then lights up again. “Ah! Do you know Yuuri Katsuki? Maybe you could contact him for me?”

 

The boy looks supremely uncomfortable, a blush rising, his hand rubbing the back of neck. “Um, that’s me. I’m so sorry I’m late!”

 

The boy – Yuuri, _Yuuri_ – looks like he’s about to unleash a tirade of apology, so Victor hastens to stop him with a dismissive wave of his hand. “It’s fine! Yakov, my coach, used to shout at me all the time for being late. He’s only stopped because I can’t hear him over the ocean.”

 

Yuuri blinks, then smiles. It’s a little nervous, but Victor feels obscenely proud that he managed to tease it out. Then a thought occurs to him. “Did you know who I was yesterday?”

 

“Ah,” Yuuri looks bashful. “Yes. I didn’t want to say anything to blow your cover.”

 

Victor nods; he could press this, but he humours him. “You ended up being my tour guide anyway. Fate brought us together, Yuuri! Against all odds!” He finishes his melodramatic outburst, and Yuuri is _scarlet._

 

“Um, well,” he flounders, and Victor’s smile grows so big his face is about to split in two. He’s adorable. “Did you have a nice skate?” He starts walking, and Victor falls into step beside him, having no idea where they were going but not really caring.

 

“I didn’t really think about it,” Victor admits. “It was very busy, so I just glided for a bit.” He’d _wanted_ to slip in some jumps, his legs had tensed with the effort not to, but he knew if he drew attention to himself in the most obvious, stupid way that he could, he’d be thwarting all the effort everyone had put into getting him there.

 

“That’s my favourite part. Of skating, I mean. Gliding.”

 

Victor raises his eyebrows. “Really? Why?”

 

Yuuri rubs at the back of his neck again; every action he makes is a little jerky with self-consciousness. Victor hopes he can make him feel comfortable, soon. “It’s just…easy. It feels like flying, and it looks so graceful. Jumps are impressive, but gliding is beautiful.”

 

It’s a sweet answer. Not one he was expecting, not one he was used to. As Yuuri’s blush deepens, visibly realising how much he’s spoken, as he shoots a quick look at Victor, for the first time, Victor feels a twinge of something unexpected.

 

He pushes it down, and smiles easily. “You really do like skating! We can go together, sometime.”

 

“Ah, no, no—“

 

“It’ll be fun! Yuri says I’m a terrible coach, but he hates everyone, and it’s not my fault he doesn’t know how to balance.” Victor pulls a face at a dazed-looking Yuuri. “I’ve only tripped him twice. Every other time it’s been his fault, but he won’t have it.”

 

“I really don’t skate much. I can fall all by myself.”

 

“I wouldn’t trip _you_ ,” Victor says, aghast. “I promise.” He steps close to bump Yuuri’s shoulder with his own, enjoying the way Yuuri’s eyes widen, how he moves away just a little too quickly. This. This is what he’s used to. (Forget the twinge.) “It’d be fun.”

 

“You wouldn’t laugh at me?”

 

“Absolutely no laughing,” Victor promises.

 

“Maybe,” Yuuri finally says, and the word is music to Victor’s ears. He wants to twirl this attractive, nervous man around until they’re both dizzy. Yuuri goes on to talk about time and work loads and a million other mundane things and Victor’s interested, everything’s interesting, but it’s hard to take everything in all at once, especially when his own guide is proving to be such a distraction.

 

* * *

 

**Groupchat: victuuri support group**

**lesbian of honour:** he’s really nice u guys

 

 **lesbian of honour:** idk why i say that like i’m surprised

 

 **lesbian of honour:** but he’s like. not a massive dick

 

 **best man:** wtf

 

 **best man:** WHY HAVE YOU MET HIM

 

 **best man:** WHEN DID YOU MEET HIM

 

 **groom 1:** you had a lecture phichit

 

 **best man:** MUM I COULD’VE SKIPPED

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** no you couldn’t

 

 **best man:** but daaaaaad

 

 **better man:** he rly is nice

 

 **better man:** i like him more than phichit

 

 **best man:** GUANG HONG GOT TO MEET HIM

 

 **best man:** that is LOW

 

 **better man:** he bought me lunch <3

 

 **best man:** no one asked

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** why would he do that?

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** is he one of those rich assholes who insist and make everyone feel uncomfortable?

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** fuck those guys

 

 **lesbian of honour:** pls u think we would’ve stood for that

 

 **lesbian of honour:** no it was pretty sweet actually we went to fred’s n he just did it

 

 **better man:** i tried 2 pay him but he said he was celebrating

 

 **better man:** so in conclusion

 

 **better man:** we love yuuri’s sugar daddy

 

 **best man:** i hope he buys me a car

 

 **better man:**????

 

 **best man:** i want a car WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** he’s never paying for me

 

 **lesbian of honour:** i mean i can’t imagine he’ll really care seung-gil but thnx for letting us all know

 

 **best man:** yuuri ur being super quiet

 

 **best man:** u know if u have ur phone BELOW the desk they can’t see it right

 

 **better man:** you’re disgustingly well versed in ruining your lecturers’ lives

 

 **best man:** thnx

 

 **groom 1:** oh sorry

 

 **best man:** are u okay

 

 **better man:** we’re only joking yuuri

 

 **better man:** not about liking victor tho

 

 **groom 1:** i’m fine sry just trying to get some work done while victor has a class

 

 **lesbian of honour:** i mean

 

 **better man:** well

 

 **best man:** what

 

 **best man:** why are you being weird

 

 **better man:** i just feel like he might be a bit better than “fine”

 

 **best man:** WHY ARE YOU BEING QUIET YUURI

 

 **lesbian of honour:** bc all victor does is flirt w him

 

 **better man:** oh yuuri let’s do this let’s do that let’s take a selfie smile for me

 

 **lesbian of honour:** u have a pretty smile yuuri

 

 **best man:** omg

 

 **groom 1:** you’re blowing this way out of proportion

 

 **groom 1:** he was the same w all of us he’s just like that w people

 

 **groom 1:** the waitress was in love w him by the time we left

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** you sound a bit defensive

 

 **groom 1:** do you have to seung-gil

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** just wanted you to know

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** you know they’re going to jump on it

 

 **best man:** wow thanks for pointing that out seung-gil

 

 **better man:** you know i wasn’t going to mention it

 

 **best man:** but now the topic’s arisen

 

 **lesbian of honour:** the yuuri doth protest too much methinks

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** you’re all pathetic

 

 **groom 1:** pls remember WHO HE IS n not this stupid fantasy u’ve created

 

 **better man:** are u calling my dreams stupid

 

 **best man:** i need to meet him and judge this for myself

 

 **best man:** i’m best man i can gauge it all properly

 

 **groom 1:** pls don’t

 

* * *

 

Phichit will not leave him alone.

 

“You need to finish that article,” Yuuri says, for the millionth time, as Phichit magically gravitates onto his bed again. They’re sitting in their room that night, Yuuri editing this week’s edition of the paper as Phichit pretends to be writing a think piece that’s already two days late.

 

“You’re the editor,” Phichit counters, for the millionth time. “You can cover for me.”

 

“Yes,” Yuuri says. “I’m the editor. Which means I need your article, and you need to finish it. Go away.”

 

Phichit starts poking at Yuuri’s keyboard, pressing random letters. “Yuuri.”

 

“Go and write your article.”

 

His cheek. Phichit starts poking his cheek.

 

Yuuri closes his laptop and glares at him. “Three questions, and I want that piece before you go to sleep.”

 

“God, you’re hot when you’re dictatorial.”

 

“Two questions.”

 

“Please, command me more.”

 

“One question, and I’m moving out.”

 

“You would never,” Phichit grins at him, batting his eyelashes, but Yuuri’s icy stare is rock solid. He’s had a lot of practice. “No questions, just tell me about him. Everything. I want to know everything.”

 

Yuuri wonders how he can explain Victor in understandable, coherent terms; he isn’t sure the man can be explained. If for years he’s struggled to describe Victor’s skating, his personality is entirely undecipherable. He doesn’t know how to crack his easy way of speaking, his excitement over everything, his funny little anecdotes. The way he can conjure up any expression, evoke whatever he means with a small smile or a single raised eyebrow. How he’s seen a million interviews, and he’s the exactly the same and completely different all the same time. A whirlwind doesn’t fall into neat sentences.

 

“He’s nice,” Yuuri manages, and it’s such a nothing word. It’s so empty. It is not a Victor word, not before he’d met him and not now, and he hates how acutely aware he is of this. “He’s not arrogant at all, and I, uh, I guess we get on well.”

 

“Yeah, Sara said you seemed like you’d hit it off earlier when we were in the library.”

 

“I don’t know. He just talks all the time, so it doesn’t really matter if I’m being awkward. It doesn’t seem to bother him?” Phichit nods, understanding. “But then whenever I do talk, he seems really interested… It’s the same with anyone, though. He’s just really, I don’t know, responsive?”

 

Phichit nods again, considers this for a moment. Yuuri can practically see him turning it over in his head. “Okay. So. He’s your childhood idol, so obviously he makes you nervous, but he talks so much that it doesn’t really matter, and he doesn’t really care. But he does care when you talk. So you’re getting on well because he cares, but also he doesn’t care. Right?”

 

“I mean… I guess. Yeah.” Yuuri pulls a face. Wonders if he should talk about what’s flashing warning signals in his mind. It’s Phichit, he reasons. If he can’t tell him, he can’t tell anybody. “The thing is. Um. I don’t know. He’s really nice, but I think he does things deliberately to get a reaction out of people?”

 

He looks at Phichit, hoping he’ll understand straight away, but the other boy looks confused. “What do you mean?”

 

Yuuri tries again. “Like, he knows exactly what to do to get people to react? I think he likes throwing me off? Not in a mean way, or anything,” he hastens to add, at Phichit’s darkening look. “Like he thinks it’s funny? Ice skating is all about showmanship, and I don’t know. I don’t know if all this just… a show. Him pretending to like me.”

 

“Oh, Yuuri.” To Yuuri’s surprise, Phichit starts to laugh. “This is something you start to panic about in a few months when you’re dating, not a few hours after you make a new friend.”

 

It does sound a little bit ridiculous, Yuuri supposes, grudgingly, when he puts it like that.

 

 “You really have to stop finding it so hard to believe that people can just like you,” Phichit knocks his shoulder against his. “I know it’s hard when you’re friends with bullies like Guang Hong. It’s a good thing you’ve got people like Seung-gil to pick you up when you’re down.”

 

Yuuri rolls his eyes. “Thanks. I guess it wouldn’t matter if he was pretending to be my friend, anyway. I’m only babysitting him, really.”

 

“Sh, child. Second question: when can I meet him?”

 

“What was the first one?”

 

“I don’t know. I don’t care. Answer the question.”

 

“I don’t know. Whenever you want, I guess? I’ll be with him most days, until he makes other friends.” Yuuri ignores how the idea of Victor abandoning him and the others as soon as he finds better people makes his stomach feel. “He’s staying in Gryff halls, so you probably won’t be running into him.”

 

Phichit looks surprised. “He’s staying halls? A rich celebrity has chosen, of his own volition, in a country where he has free will, to stay in college halls? Has the fame driven him to hate himself?”

 

“He—“

 

“No, really, Yuuri, this is important. Is he okay? Are you sure?”

 

Yuuri laughs, hitting him. “Shut up. He said staying in a hotel for a year would be stupidly expensive, and if he lived alone he’d spend all his time talking to his friends back in Russia, so he moved all his stuff in this afternoon while I was in a seminar.”

 

“And you,” Phichit says, “just left him to spend his first night at college all alone in his room.”

 

Yuuri’s face heats up immediately. “I—no! I wouldn’t. No. No! It wasn’t deliberate!”

 

“Of course not,” Phichit consoles, patting Yuuri’s shoulder as he stands and finally goes back to his own bed. “It was nice of you to text him and check he’s okay, anyway.”

 

“ _Stop_ ,” Yuuri says, groaning. He feels terrible. He hadn’t even considered the possibility that Victor might have wanted him to invite him to hang out, or something, but then he hadn’t even bothered to ask what his plans were when they’d parted earlier. He’d just assumed that he was Victor Nikiforov, and Victor Nikiforov didn’t need him prying into his life. Victor Nikiforov would always have something to do – but perhaps not, as Phichit had pointed out, in a foreign country, his first night at a college where he only knows one person, who just left him to his own devices.

 

Yuuri eyes his phone. Phichit’s idea isn’t a bad one, but he doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

 

“Wait, wait,” Phichit waves his hands to grab his attention. “Before you panic text, I have my last question.”

 

“I am not going to panic—“

 

“Is he as hot as he is in your dreams?”

 

“Write your article.”

 

“But is he?”

 

“ _Article._ ”

 

* * *

 

 **  
Yuuri Katsuki:** hi victor! just wanted to check everything was okay? (thanks for the facebook add, hope this isn’t a fanpage haha)

 

 **Victor Nikiforov:** yuuri!!! hi! this is me don’t worry :) everything’s fine, i think the people on my floor are going out somewhere, but i’m going to wait up so i can facetime yuri later. are you okay??

 

 **Yuuri Katsuki:** oh, good, my roommate was just a bit worried bc it’s your first night here. of course you’d be calling yuri! sorry to bother you!

 

 **Victor Nikiforov:** no you’re not bothering me at all i want to talk to you!!!

 

 **Victor Nikiforov:** you mentioned you were editing the paper earlier?

 

 **Yuuri Katsuki:** ah right yeah i’m almost done, just waiting for one last article to look over. i should probably go check how the writer’s doing

 

 **Victor Nikiforov:** then i won’t bother you any more!

 

 **Victor Nikiforov:** are you free tomorrow evening?? yura says if i call him too much he’ll fly here just to punch me and i really think he’ll do it

 

 **Victor Nikiforov:** please save my face yuuri

 

* * *

 

It’s been a few hours, and Victor’s still frowning at the last messages he’d sent to Yuuri. Was he busy? He had said that he was about to chase up that article, but surely that wasn’t so time consuming that he didn’t have a moment to type a quick response? Yes or no were very short words, he reasons, after all.

 

Trying not to think about it – because that’s been going so well – he presses call on Yuri’s name again. He didn’t know when Yuri would be up, so he’d just been trying every five minutes or so, figuring that if nothing else his ringtone could act as an alarm.

 

This time though, finally, there’s a stutter in the dial tone, then Yuri’s face blurs into view.

 

“Thirty-six missed calls,” he says, in that low mutinous voice Victor already misses so much. “Thirty-six missed calls, Victor. At six in the morning.”

 

Victor’s too happy at hearing Russian again to feel truly guilty. “Yura! I miss you!”

 

“Whatever,” Yuri yawns, stretching. Victor can see that he’s still half lying down in bed. “Please know that I would hang up right now, but I overslept and if I talk to you quickly now, when there’s a definite end point of me having to go to the rink, it means I don’t have to pick up later and have a longer, more painful conversation with you.”

 

“Are you really having that hard a time without me? If you really need me to, I can come back. I didn’t expect you to miss me this much so soon.”

 

“On second thought, if I hang up now, there’s still nothing making me answer later.”

 

They talk for a good half an hour while Yuri gets ready for a day’s hard practice; watching him pack his skates away makes Victor’s heart hurt a little, just briefly. He’d wanted this, still wants this, but it doesn’t make it any easier to imagine Yuri learning routines without him. Victor tells him about his classes, his course, the college, while Yuri complains about Yakov, moans about his aching muscles, and rolls his eyes a lot.

 

And Yuuri. He tells him about Yuuri.

 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Yuri says, when Victor tells him that the guy he’d been fawning over last night just so happened to be his assigned guide. “Why is your life a fucking romantic comedy?”

 

“He’s so _cute_ , Yura.” Victor sighs like a love-struck thirteen year old.

 

“You’re remembering he’s also a human being, with his own thoughts and feelings, yeah?”

 

Chastised, Victor nods meekly. “Yes. I was being impulsive before. I wanted to just sweep him away, but that only works with random hook-ups. I can’t just do things because of my fame. I need to know that he wants to be swept away first.”

 

“I can’t be bothered to argue about the hook-ups shit. Just don’t be a dickhead.”

 

It’s something that Victor used to struggle with a lot more, bending everyone in his life to fit his own will and not caring what anyone thought about it. As he’d gotten older – it’s not an excuse, and he’ll never use it as one, but it’s hard to have the world’s spotlight on you at sixteen and emerge unscathed and unbroken – he’d learned that he needed to be more compassionate. He couldn’t just live on Planet Victor, and Yuri was always there to bring him back down to earth with a few swear words.

 

Yuri hangs up, still grumbling about Yakov, and Victor lies back. It’s late now, and he’s tired, but he can’t resist checking his messages one last time before he lets himself abandon the idea, lets himself sleep.

 

* * *

 

 **Yuuri Katsuki:** sure! my roommate can’t wait to meet you so you can come round :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is kind of stupid

 

**Groupchat: victuuri support group**

**groom 1 removed best man from the conversation.**

**better man:** is the best man position open

 

 **lesbian of honour:** WHAT HAS HAPPENED

 

 **groom 1:** don’t add him back i’m putting him on trial

 

 **better man:** OH SHIT

 

 **Seung-gil Lee:** not this again

 

 **lesbian of honour:** allow me to make the preparations

 

 **lesbian of honour:** do u need a lawyer

 

 **groom 1:** yes pls

 

 **lesbian of honour:** okay u have guang hong i’m off

 

 **groom 1:** sara :(

 

 **lesbian of honour:** lol jk

 

 **better man:** phichit’s messaging me

 

 **better man:** i’m ignoring him

 

**lesbian of honour changed the group name to court is in session: katsuki vs chulanont**

**lesbian of honour changed her name to solicitor crispino supreme.**

**better man changed his name to judge judy.**

**solicitor crispino supreme changed groom 1’s name to the defendant.**

**judge judy changed Seung-gil Lee’s name to jury member.**

**jury member:** no

 

 **judge judy:** if ur not a member of the court u need to leave the courtroom

 

 **jury member:** this is stupid

 

 **judge judy:** pls don’t make me remove u by force

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** ur honour my client and i request a brief adjournment so we can discuss our options

 

 **judge judy:** granted pls talk privately

 

 **judge judy:** and if i find anyone contacting the accused u will be escorted out of the courtroom

 

* * *

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** okay mr katsuki if it isn’t too traumatic pls explain the situation

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** victor asked if he could come over this evening and i didn’t reply but i told phichit i was going to say no in the morning bc then it wouldn’t b rude it’d just be like i missed the message??

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** solid reasoning that’ll hold up

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** yes

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** but then i went to sleep

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** and phichit stole my phone and replied yes

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** HE DID NOT

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** HE DID SARA HE DID

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** pls refrain from using my first name during proceedings mr katsuki

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** but i totally understand ur distress

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** could i see the evidence

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** absolutely miss crispino

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** [Screenshot]

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** [Screenshot]

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** what is this second one

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** an instagam post he made of me drooling in my sleep last night

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** to prove he was awake longer than me

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** AWW YUURI LOOK AT UR LIL VICCHAN PLUSH

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** ahem

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** i mean

 

 **my platonic italian princess:** i think this is enough i have a statement for u are u ready mr katsuki

 

 **my platonic japanese prince:** yes

 

* * *

 

 **jury member:** i’m just saying these are always stupidly melodramatic

 

 **judge judy:** wtf do u mean

 

 **jury member:** guang hong last time this happened was bc sara ate the last pringle and it lasted three days

 

 **judge judy:** YEAH AND WHO WAS FOUND GUILTY

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** your honour we are prepared to proceed with the trial

 

**judge judy added Phichit Chulanont to the conversation.**

**judge judy changed Phichit Chulanont’s name to the accused.**

 

 **judge judy:** from this moment onwards i declare court to be in session

 

 **the accused:** objection

 

 **judge judy:** fuck sake WHAT

 

 **the accused:** i want a lawyer why don’t i get a lawyer

 

 **judge judy:** we are short staffed

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** and i like yuuri more

 

 **judge judy:** please shut the fuck up mr chulanont

 

 **judge judy:** miss crispino is mr katsuki prepared to give his statement

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** mr katsuki pls take the stand and speak when u r ready to

 

 **judge judy:** do u swear on the bible to tell the truth and nothing but

 

 **the defendant:** i swear

 

 **the defendant:** last night i was messaging an acquaintance of mine who was requesting permission to come over to mine and the accused’s room tonight (tomorrow night at the time)

 

 **judge judy:** can u name the acquaintance pls

 

 **the defendant:** victor nikiforov who i am obliged to look after and guide thru his time here at college

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** here i would like to stress that mr katsuki is under no obligation to befriend mr nikiforov or do anything beyond guiding him

 

 **the defendant:** thank u miss crispino

 

 **the accused:** objection

 

 **judge judy:** WHAT

 

 **the accused:** what if mr nikiforov WANTS to be friends with mr katsuki

 

 **judge judy:** a fair question mr katsuki can u answer it

 

 **the defendant:** that isn’t my problem i would still get to choose if i wanted to be friends w him

 

 **the defendant:** it isn’t fair for other people TO CHOOSE FOR ME

 

 **the accused:** I’M TRYING TO HELP U

 

 **the defendant:** BUT I TOLD YOU YOU KNEW I WAS GOING TO SAY NO

 

 **judge judy:** ORDER

 

 **judge judy:** I WILL HAVE ORDER IN MY COURTROOM

 

 **judge judy:** mr katsuki pls continue w ur statement

 

 **judge judy:** mr chulanont kindly shut the fuck up i won’t tell u again

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** i won’t have my client terrorised and intimidated your honour

 

 **judge judy:** i understand miss crispino he is on his final warning

 

 **the defendant:** so i was going to tell mr nikiforov that he couldn’t come over but i was leaving it until the morning so it didn’t seem rude and it was just like i’d missed the message??

 

 **judge judy:** solid reasoning

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** told u it’d hold up

 

 **the defendant:** i told mr chulanont all of this so he was well aware of my intentions but when i went to sleep he stole my phone and texted back yes

 

 **judge judy:** HE DID NOT

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** I KNOW

 

 **the jury:** phichit you little bitch

 

 **the defendant:** SARA HAS THE THE EVIDENCE AND IT IS INCRIMINATING

 

 **the accused:** LOOK CAN I TALK NOW

 

 **judge judy:** I DON’T EVEN NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU UR A SNAKE

 

 **the accused:** LET ME TALK

 

 **the accused:** we all want yuuri to be friends w victor right

 

 **the accused:** and we all know that he’s not going to let it happen if we don’t intervene

 

 **the accused:** bc he’s stupid and he’s putting victor on a pedestal when HE’S GREAT TOO

 

 **the accused:** and if victor hadn’t extended THE GOLDEN HAND OF FRIENDSHIP first then i wouldn’t have done anything but he DID and yuuri needs to stop SABOTAGING HIMSELF

 

 **judge judy:** is this true mr katsuki

 

 **judge judy:** were u going to decline the golden hand of friendship from mr nikiforov

 

 **the defendant:** objection the golden hand of friendship is objective

 

 **the defendant:** i don’t think he extended it i think he was just desperate he has shown no sign of wanting to be my friend

 

 **the accused:** i disagree

 

 **the accused:** miss crispino we have discussed this and i will be submitting screenshots in evidence to the court if u don’t back me the fuck up right now

 

 **the defendant:** SARA

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** OBJECTION YOUR HONOUR I’M BEING BLACKMAILED

 

 **judge judy:** pls speak the truth miss crispino

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** i may have used the word cute in reference to mr katsuki and mr nikiforov in conversation with mr chulanont BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRIVATE

 **the defendant:** oh my god

 

 **judge judy:** RIGHT

 

 **judge judy:** i’ve had enough i’ve had it i’m going to rule

 

 **jury member:** what about me

 

 **judge judy:** forgot u were here

 

 **jury member:** i called phichit a little bitch like 3 seconds ago

 

 **judge judy:** u spoke out of turn ur opinion is now invalid in my court

 

**jury member left the conversation.**

**judge judy:** mr chulanont u are found guilty of stealing mr katsuki’s possessions and going against his will

 

 **the accused:** OBJECTION

 

 **judge judy:** NO SHUT UP

 

 **judge judy:** BUT

 

 **judge judy:** he is found innocent of sabotage

 

 **judge judy:** mr katsuki u are found guilty of STUPIDITY

 

 **judge judy:** as such i sentence you both to shut up and continue ur friendship as normal

 

 **judge judy:** bc i am inclined to believe mr chulanont’s emotional outburst when he said that he interfered for the greater good

 

 **the accused:** THANK U UR HONOUR

 

 **the defendant:** at least ban him from overwatch

 

 **judge judy:** jesus yuuri i’m not cruel

 

 **solicitor crispino supreme:** pls let that poor man b ur friend yuuri

 

**the defendant left the conversation.**

* * *

 

Victor knocks lightly on Yuuri’s door. Inside, the sounds of shooting and swearing don’t stop, but footsteps join them, and Yuuri pulls the door open. His cautious smile falls as he blinks at Victor. Victor blinks right back. Yuuri’s wearing a big jumper and jeans, his hair fluffy – it looks so soft, Victor thinks, he really wants to confirm just how soft it is – and he’s obviously just showered. He’s so, so pretty.

 

“You’re not wearing your contacts,” Yuuri says, finally. “Or a hat.”

 

“Oh,” Victor says, hand automatically reaching up to his fringe. “No. I thought I would be safe at this time. Besides, your roommate knows who I am, right?”

 

Yuuri pulls a face. “Yes, but people go out on a Friday night. Quick, come inside before anyone sees you.” He steps aside, and Victor moves into his room.

 

It’s small, but neat, tidy. Two beds, a long desk at the end, two wardrobes and bedside tables. Yuuri’s roommate is furiously pressing keys on his computer at the end, and Victor watches as his character onscreen shoots all over the place.

 

“Phichit, Victor’s here,” Yuuri says. He sounds like a mother, Victor thinks, but it’s sweet.

 

“Sorry, sorry,” Phichit says, quickly. “This little bitch just—come here. Fucking come here, I swear to… WOW. Wow, fine.”

 

Defeat flashes on the screen, and Phichit quits the game with one last glare. He stands and turns to Victor with a cheerful smile.

 

“Hey, I’m Phichit. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

 

At this Victor glances at Yuuri, whose expression is dark, even as his face reddens. “Oh, really?”

 

Yuuri looks like he’s about to explode.

 

“Who hasn’t?” Phichit’s smile turns mischievious, and in that moment, Victor knows they’re going to get along. “Sorry about that. Do you play?”

 

“Play what?”

 

“Overwatch!” Victor just stares at him, lost. “The game I was just playing? It’s the biggest game of the year?”

 

Victor shakes his head, looking to Yuuri. “Leave him alone, Phichit. Sorry, Victor. He always does this.”

 

“Yuuri,” Phichit says conspiratorially, as if the boy himself isn’t stood right there, “is bitter because he can only play Mercy. You want to try?”

 

“Mercy,” Yuuri says, equally seriously, “is a _vital_ addition to any team composition. You don’t have to, Victor. We can watch a film.”

 

“No, no, I want to!” Victor doesn’t understand why they both love this thing (because it’s obvious Yuuri grudgingly does), but he wants to. “I don’t get the chance to play games when it’s competition season, and when it’s off-season I’m too busy training. I have some catching up to do!”

 

Phichit pulls up chairs for both of them, letting Victor take the one in the middle. “Oh yeah, I forgot you’re like, super famous.”

 

Yuuri gives him another look, but Victor just shrugs. “I’m trying to.”

 

“Is it hard?” Phichit logs back into his game.

 

“Being famous or forgetting?”

 

“Both.”

 

Victor’s very, very aware of Yuuri watching him. “I used to love it. It wasn’t hard then. All of this—“ He waves his hand around the room—“I wouldn’t have even thought about it.” There’s a moment – this moment – where he has to swallow. Has to take a second to push things back. “But it won’t be hard forgetting when I have Yuuri to take care of me!”

 

It isn’t a lie, at all. It’s just not the truth Phichit was pushing him to tell. Not yet.

 

Yuuri flushes as Victor grins at him, slinging a friendly arm around his shoulders. He shrugs it off quickly, but Victor doesn’t mind.

 

“Who does Yuuri play?” Victor asks, innocently, when Phichit leads him to a character selection screen.

 

“The angel. Her.” He points.

 

“How appropriate!” Victor laughs as he picks her, to Phichit’s disgust.

 

Halfway through, when he’s died a million times, Yuuri shakes his head. “I just… I can’t watch her being mistreated like this. Here.”

 

To Victor’s surprise, Yuuri leans over to move the keyboard closer to him, pushing Victor’s hands away. Even as he pulls things in his direction, he still has to lean almost full across Victor to play. He knows he should be watching the screen, knows that Phichit’s fully aware of where his gaze is, but he can’t help but watch Yuuri. Can’t help but enjoy the feeling of his body against his, warm.

 

“Oh,” Yuuri says, when the game finishes, and he realises just how close to Victor he is. “Sorry!” He moves backward far too quickly. “I really like playing her.”

 

“You’re an inspiration,” Victor promises, only half-joking, and Yuuri hits him lightly on the shoulder. It’s the first time he’s properly initiated any sort of contact.

 

“Please,” Phichit says, grabbing at the mouse. “You need to see a real pro.”

 

The rest of the evening falls away in a rush of shooting and laughter. The game is fun, but it’s not really about the game: it’s all in the enjoyment of just spending time with people he actually likes, not worrying about getting up early in the morning or aching from falling a million times (it isn’t, as everyone likes to insist his moves are, effortless at all). There’s nothing. No obligation. He feels like he could really get the hang of this whole student thing, as long as his friends are there to keep up the nights like these.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri insists on walking Victor back to his room. It isn’t really his insistence that leads to them walking across campus though, not when Victor had made less-than-subtle hints as soon as Phichit started yawning. (He’d been up late, last night, he’d said. Victor had been sympathetic, and confused when Yuuri couldn’t explain why he was glaring so much.)

 

“I could’ve gotten lost,” he says, again, as Yuuri rolls his eyes.

 

“It’s a direct path,” he says, even as Victor shakes his head. “But it’s fine. I can damage control if anyone recognises you.”

 

“My knight in shining armour!”

 

“Shhh,” Yuuri’s laughing, but he’s glad it’s too dark for his blush to be visible. “You’re going to wake people up.”

 

A cold hand brushes against his cheek, and it’s all he can do not to scream. As it is, he lets out a light squeal anyway before he claps his hands over his mouth.

 

“Yep,” Victor says, and he sounds amused. “Cheeks burning. Knew it!”  


Mortified, Yuuri keeps walking in silence.

 

Victor wraps an arm around his shoulders again, won’t be shaken off. Is far too close. “Thanks for inviting me, Yuuri.” He moves away, but their arms, in their big winter coats, still touch.

 

Yuuri isn’t about to deny it now. “Um, that’s okay. Did you have a good time? Sorry about Phichit.”

 

“Nothing to apologise for,” Victor says, truthfully. “It was the most fun I’ve had in a very long time. Back in Russia, the most time I spent with my friends off the ice was when we took a lunch break. Or when we went to competitions, and we’d go out for a meal… We like food.”

 

“Do you miss them?”

 

“Of course! But I like it here a lot. Maybe I’ll never go back. They’ll have to come visit me and my new best friend Yuuri. We’ll have to change Yuri’s name, so there’s no confusion.”

 

Yuuri can’t stop himself from chuckling.

 

“Ah, but… my dog. I can’t leave him.”

 

Yuuri immediately understands why the concept of abandoning his friends and family is totally okay to Victor, but the idea of not seeing his dog is unacceptable. “What’s he called?”

 

“Makkachin. He’s a poodle.”

 

“Oh! I had a poodle.” Yuuri says it without thinking, and immediately regrets it.

 

“Had?”

 

“He passed away last year, while I was away here.” The sadness comes through Yuuri’s voice, and he tries not to think about it. It hurts too much, if he thinks about his abandoning Vicchan to come to America. Feels a little selfish, when he could’ve easily studied in Japan and stayed close to home.

 

Victor’s hand is comforting on his back. “I’m sorry, Yuuri.”

 

Yuuri nods, stepping to the side. “It’s okay, but thanks.”

 

“We’ll have to share Makkachin!” The idea makes Yuuri smile and blush simultaneously. “He’s the best dog. You’ll see, one day! Even if I have to steal you, and take you to Russia myself.”

 

“Ah, that… that’s okay.” Yuuri stops outside the door to Victor’s building.

 

“Do you want to come up? It’s cold, I could make you a hot chocolate to walk back with.” Victor looks concerned, and it makes him peer closer to Yuuri. His eyes, Yuuri can’t help but think, are so blue.

 

“Oh, no,” he says, shaking himself out of it. “It’s okay. I should get back.”

 

“Hm,” Victor is dissatisfied. “Here, at least take my scarf… I’m the one who made you walk all the way here, after all.”

 

He’s unwrapping his scarf and tying it around Yuuri’s neck before he has time to protest. The gesture brings them much closer, and for a moment neither of them move.

 

Then Yuuri’s walking away, and Victor’s turning to let himself into the building.

 

Something makes Yuuri stop. Maybe it was the night, seeing Victor casually hanging out with him and Phichit. Maybe it’s the clean, Victor scent of the scarf around his neck. He doesn’t know.

 

But he looks back. (Victor’s still looking at him. He hasn’t turned at all.) “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Victor says, like he didn’t even need to ask. He didn’t, at all. He doesn’t know what compelled him to. “I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere without you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> u can't tell me yuuri isn't a mercy main


End file.
